3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target for Tuesday 8/22/23

Hitting on value plays in MLB DFS on FanDuel can make or break a lineup on any given day, but locking in strong performances with some of baseball's star players provides the backbone for any good DFS lineup.

These stars rightly come with high salaries as they usually live up to expectations and have the ability to outclass their peers at their position.

Here are three studs to target for Tuesday's main slate.

All advanced statistics come from FanGraphs. All projections via numberFire.

Blake Snell, SP, San Diego Padres ($10,300)

Now that tropical storm Hilary has passed Southern California, southpaw hurler Blake Snell is ready to go for the San Diego Padres tonight. Ironically, they will play host to a team that is much more used to tropical storms: the Miami Marlins.

Snell has not only been one of the most consistent arms for the Friars in 2023 but one of the most stable players on the entire roster. He has held opposing hitters to a lowly Statcast hard-hit rate of 29.3% this season, which is the most effective rate of his eight-year MLB career. There's also the aspect that the Marlins have not been too imposing on offense in the current campaign -- Miami's team OPS is .718 right now, ranking 20th of the 30 teams.

Due to his longevity in games and upside in the strikeout department, Snell has been spectacular in DFS this season. Over 25 starts, he has averaged a dazzling 37.1 FanDuel points per game. Even better: numberFire projects Snell to produce 40.0 FanDuel points, the highest projection of any player. Additionally, Miami has a projected run total of 3.19 tonight -- per numberFire's game projections -- the lowest figure of any club in action.

Operating at the pitcher-friendly Petco Park with unpredictable winds at the moment, Snell has a good chance to come through today. He has ultimately been efficient behind a 0.93 HR/9 rate, but his current strikeout clip of 31% is the real perpetrator of his DFS value in 2023.

Alex Bregman, 3B, Houston Astros ($3,500)

On the heels of a 3-for-3 night (with a double and RBI) against the Boston Red Sox, Alex Bregman and the Houston Astros will run it back versus Boston today. Right-handed pitcher Tanner Houck (allowing 1.20 homers per 9 innings in 2023) is scheduled to start for Boston, and I think Bregman can utilize the matchup for a favorable night at home.

Off the bat, Bregman is always situated for fortuitous nights when playing home games at Minute Maid Park -- the Crawford boxes situated just 315 feet down the left-field line play as an advantageous gimmick for any right-handed power hitter. For Bregman this year (a 42.2% pull-batter), his OPS is .812 at home, compared to .768 on the road. Over Bregman's eight seasons in the bigs, that number jumps to .865 at home.

Bregman has heated up over the past week. In his last six games combined, he has compiled two homers, seven RBI, six runs scored, three doubles and eight total hits.

At numberFire, Bregman is projected to generate 11.8 points on FanDuel, which is solid, but he has doubled that production in four of his past five games. I like Breman to keep it rolling.

Marcus Semien, 2B, Texas Rangers ($3,700)

In what will likely be the best game of the evening, Marcus Semien and the AL West-leading Texas Rangers will take on the Arizona Diamondbacks and their ace, Zac Gallen. We know Texas boasts a juggernaut of a lineup, but Gallen is still the favorite to win the NL Cy Young (+165), per FanDuel Sportsbook.

The Rangers are coming off an extra-inning loss in the desert last night. Of their five total hits, Semien managed to log two of them.

Semien has long been one of the best offensive second basemen in the game. On the current season, Semien shows 19 home runs and 79 RBI -- the latter figure ranking as the second-best clip for a potent Texas team. Also, his efficiency at the plate has improved in 2023 as he is striking out at a career-low clip of 13.7%.

Semien hits atop an order that features fellow sluggers Adolis Garcia, Corey Seager, Jonah Heim, Nathaniel Lowe and more. With a high probability to frequently be around productive situations, Semien has already scored 96 runs this year -- currently tops on the Rangers and fifth-most in MLB.

He can have a good night despite a difficult matchup with Gallen.

Looking to build some MLB DFS lineups? Check out FanDuel’s daily fantasy baseball lobby to see all the offerings for today’s slates.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.